Method for liquid narcotic medication validation and deactivation

ABSTRACT

A system and method for the validation and deactivation of liquid narcotic medications. The system includes a two (2) compartment assembly having a first compartment, wherein the liquid narcotic medications are tested to determine (or validate) the composition of the liquid narcotic medication and a second compartment operatively connected to the first compartment, wherein the liquid narcotic medications can be deactivated, if necessary.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention is generally related to a system and method forthe validation and deactivation of liquid narcotic medications. Thesystem includes a two (2) compartment assembly having a firstcompartment wherein the liquid narcotic medications are tested todetermine (or validate) the composition of the liquid narcoticmedication and a second compartment operatively connected to the firstcompartment wherein the liquid narcotic medications can be deactivated,if necessary. In this manner, the end user can easily determine thecomposition of the liquid narcotic medications that are scheduled to bewasted (disposed of). If it is determined that the remaining liquidnarcotic that was scheduled to be wasted was the liquid narcoticmedication that should have been wasted, the liquid narcotic medicationthat was tested (validated) in the first compartment is then transferredto the second compartment where the liquid narcotic medication is thendeactivated. If it is determined that the remaining liquid that wasscheduled to be wasted was not what should have been wasted, the properauthorities are then notified as to the fact that the remaining liquidnarcotic that should have been wasted was not what is actually beingwasted so that further procedural, personnel and/or legal actions can betaken.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Prior to the present invention, as set forth in general terms above andmore specifically below, it is known, to employ various types of devicesfor the deactivation of medications. See for example, U.S. Pat. No.5,334,178 by Haber et al., U.S. Pat. No. 7,838,715 by Uhland et al.,U.S. Pat. No. 8,236,238 by Uhland et al., U.S. Pat. No. 8,490,795 byZiemba, U.S. Pat. No. 8,642,830 by Uhland et al., U.S. Pat. No.9,005,098 by Ziemba, U.S. Pat. No. 9,046,403 by Ortenzi et al., U.S.Pat. No. 9,403,197 by Dallas et al., U.S. Patent Application2009/0180936 by Anderson et al., U.S. Patent Application 2010/0258565 byIsaacson et al., and U.S. Patent Application 2015/0352389 by Fowler etal. While these various devices for the deactivation of medications mayhave been generally satisfactory, there is nevertheless a need for a newand improved apparatus and method for the validation and deactivation ofliquid narcotic medications, wherein the device is capable of detectingthe possible theft or misuse of liquid narcotic medications.

It is a purpose of this invention to fulfill these and other needs inthe liquid narcotic medication validation and deactivation art in amanner more apparent to the skilled artisan once given the followingdisclosure.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A first aspect of the present invention is a system for validating anddeactivating liquid medications to be wasted, including a liquidmedication validation and deactivation container having a first end anda second end; a rupturable membrane attached to an inside of the liquidmedication validation and deactivation container, a liquid medicationdeactivation compartment located within the liquid medication validationand deactivation container such that the liquid medication deactivationcompartment is located between the first end of the liquid validationand deactivation container and a first side of the membrane; a liquidmedication validation compartment located within the liquid medicationvalidation and deactivation container such that the liquid medicationvalidation compartment is located between the second end of the liquidvalidation and deactivation container and a second side of the membrane;at least one liquid medication indicator located within the liquidmedication validation compartment, wherein the at least one liquidmedication indicator is used to determine a chemical compound of aliquid medication that is introduced into the liquid medicationvalidation compartment; and a one-way valve operatively connected to thesecond end of the liquid medication validation and deactivationcontainer.

In one embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention, themembrane further includes a rupturable, UV resistant, and chemicalresistant material.

In another embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention, theliquid medication deactivation compartment includes an amount of aliquid medication deactivation compound which is capable of deactivatingthe liquid medication thereby rendering the liquid medication inert.

In still another embodiment of the first aspect of the presentinvention, the liquid medication validation compartment further includesa plurality of markings located along a length of the liquid medicationvalidation and deactivation container and along the liquid medicationvalidation compartment to provide an indication as to the amount ofliquid medication that has been introduced into the liquid medicationvalidation compartment.

In a further embodiment of the first aspect of the present invention,the system further includes a syringe such that the syringe contains anamount of a liquid medication to be validated and deactivated, whereinthe syringe is used to introduce the liquid medication into the liquidmedication validation compartment through the one-way valve.

In a still further embodiment of the first aspect of the presentinvention, the one-way valve further includes a one-way luer valve.

In an even further embodiment of the first aspect of the presentinvention, the at least one liquid medication indicator further includesa litmus test strip.

A second aspect of the present invention is a method for validating anddeactivating liquid medications to be wasted, including the steps of:providing a liquid medication validation and deactivation device,wherein the liquid medication validation and deactivation deviceincludes: a liquid medication validation and deactivation containerhaving a first end and a second end; a rupturable membrane attached toan inside of the liquid medication validation and deactivationcontainer; a liquid medication deactivation compartment located withinthe liquid medication validation and deactivation container such thatthe liquid medication deactivation compartment is located between thefirst end of the liquid validation and deactivation container and afirst side of the membrane; a liquid medication validation compartmentlocated within the liquid medication validation and deactivationcontainer such that the liquid medication validation compartment islocated between the second end of the liquid validation and deactivationcontainer and a second side of the membrane; at least one liquidmedication indicator located within the liquid medication validationcompartment, wherein the at least one liquid medication indicator isused to determine a chemical compound of a liquid medication that isintroduced into the liquid medication validation compartment; and aone-way valve operatively connected to the second end of the liquidmedication validation and deactivation container; introducing an amountof a liquid medication to be wasted through the one-way valve into theliquid medication validation compartment, wherein the liquid medicationto be wasted includes a known chemical composition; validating achemical composition of the liquid medication to be wasted in the liquidmedication validation compartment, wherein 1.) if it is determined thatthe liquid medication that was validated in the liquid medicationvalidation compartment has the same chemical composition as the knowncomposition of the liquid medication to be wasted then the liquidmedication that was validated in the liquid medication validationcompartment is transferred through the membrane to the liquid medicationdeactivation compartment where the liquid medication to be wasted isdeactivated by rendering the liquid medication inert or 2.) if it isdetermined that the liquid medication that was validated in the liquidmedication validation compartment does not have the same chemicalcomposition as the known composition of the liquid medication to bewasted then the liquid medication that was validated in the liquidmedication validation compartment is retained in the liquid medicationvalidation compartment for further investigation to determine thediscrepancy between the chemical composition of the liquid medicationthat was validated in the liquid medication validation compartment andthe known composition of the liquid medication to be wasted.

In another embodiment of the second aspect of the present invention, thestep of providing a liquid medication validation and deactivation devicefurther includes the step of providing a rupturable, UV resistant, andchemical resistant material.

In still another embodiment of the second aspect of the presentinvention, the step of providing a liquid medication validation anddeactivation device further includes the step of providing an amount ofa liquid medication deactivation compound in the liquid medicationdeactivation compartment which is capable of deactivating the liquidmedication thereby rendering the liquid medication inert.

In a yet another embodiment of the second aspect of the presentinvention, the step of providing a liquid medication validation anddeactivation device further includes the step of providing a pluralityof markings located along a length of the liquid medication validationand deactivation container and along the liquid medication validationcompartment to provide an indication as to the amount of liquidmedication that has been introduced into the liquid medicationvalidation compartment.

In a further embodiment of the second aspect of the present invention,the step of providing a liquid medication validation and deactivationdevice further includes the step of providing a syringe such that thesyringe contains an amount of a liquid medication to be validated anddeactivated, wherein the syringe is used to introduce the liquidmedication into the liquid medication validation compartment through theone-way valve.

In still further embodiment of the second aspect of the presentinvention, the one-way valve further includes providing a one-way luervalve.

In a yet further embodiment of the second aspect of the presentinvention, the at least one liquid medication indicator further includesa litmus strip.

A third aspect of the present invention is an apparatus for determininga chemical composition of a liquid opioid medication to be wasted byvalidating the chemical composition of the liquid opioid medication anddeactivating the liquid opioid medication, including a liquid medicationvalidation and deactivation container having a first end and a secondend; a rupturable membrane attached to an inside of the liquidmedication validation and deactivation container; a liquid medicationdeactivation compartment located within the liquid medication validationand deactivation container such that the liquid medication deactivationcompartment is located between the first end of the liquid validationand deactivation container and a first side of the membrane; a liquidmedication validation compartment located within the liquid medicationvalidation and deactivation container such that the liquid medicationvalidation compartment is located between the second end of the liquidvalidation and deactivation container and a second side of the membrane;at least one liquid medication indicator located within the liquidmedication validation compartment, wherein the at least one liquidmedication indicator is used to determine a chemical compound of aliquid medication that is introduced into the liquid medicationvalidation compartment; and a one-way valve operatively connected to thesecond end of the liquid medication validation and deactivationcontainer.

In one embodiment of the third aspect of the present invention, themembrane further includes a rupturable, UV resistant, and chemicalresistant material.

In another embodiment of the third aspect of the present invention, theliquid medication deactivation compartment includes an amount of aliquid medication deactivation compound which is capable of deactivatingthe liquid medication thereby rendering the liquid medication inert.

In still another embodiment of the third aspect of the presentinvention, the liquid medication validation compartment further includesa plurality of markings located along a length of the liquid medicationvalidation and deactivation container and along the liquid medicationvalidation compartment to provide an indication as to the amount ofliquid medication that has been introduced into the liquid medicationvalidation compartment.

In a further embodiment of the third aspect of the present invention,the one-way valve further includes a one-way luer valve.

In an even further embodiment of the third aspect of the presentinvention, the at least one liquid medication indicator further includesa litmus test strip.

The preferred apparatus and method for the validation and deactivationof liquid narcotic medications, according to various embodiments of thepresent invention, offers the following advantages: ease of use;lightness in weight; portability; reliability; repeatability of thevalidation process; ease of proper disposal of the device; the abilityto test (validate) a sample of the type of liquid narcotic medicationthat was to be wasted; the ability to determine the chemical compositionof the sample of the type of liquid narcotic medication that was to bewasted; the ability to deactivate the tested sample; and the ability toinform the proper authorities as to the chemical composition of thesample of the type of liquid narcotic medication that was to be wasted.In fact, in many of the preferred embodiments, these advantages areoptimized to an extent that is considerably higher than heretoforeachieved in prior, known methods and apparatus for the deactivation ofliquid narcotic medications.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The above-mentioned features and steps of the invention and the mannerof attaining them will become apparent, and the invention itself will bebest understood by reference to the following description of theembodiments of the invention in conjunction with the accompanyingdrawings, wherein like characters represent like parts throughout theseveral views and in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic illustration of an apparatus for the validationand deactivation of liquid narcotic medications, constructed accordingthe present invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic illustration of the apparatus for the validationand deactivation of liquid narcotic medications being used inconjunction with a liquid medication dispensing syringe;

FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of the apparatus for the validationand deactivation of liquid narcotic medications, wherein the liquidnarcotic to be wasted has been introduced into the first compartment ofthe apparatus for the validation and deactivation of liquid narcoticmedications; and

FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of the apparatus for the validationand deactivation of liquid narcotic medications, wherein the liquidnarcotic to be wasted has been introduced into the second compartment ofthe apparatus for the validation and deactivation of liquid narcoticmedications.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS OF THE INVENTION

It is known that before various medical procedures or surgeries areperformed, an anesthesiologist or nurse will conventionally withdrawvarious drugs including narcotics (opioids) for pain control from aconventional medication dispensing unit. Furthermore, any amount of thenarcotics not administered to the patient during the medical proceduremust be properly disposed of (commonly referred to as “wasted”) in adedicated bin and witnessed by a second authorized person which isusually a registered nurse, as required by various Federal, State and/orlocal government regulations. The amount of wasted narcotics must equalthe amount of narcotics that were withdrawn from the dispensing unitminus the amount of narcotics that were administered to the patientduring the medical procedure or surgery.

However, it has been determined that a serious problem with thiswell-known method is that the witnessing party is solely relying on thegood faith assumption that the medication being wasted is the medicationthat the disposing party claims they are wasting. Unfortunately, thiscreates a serious loophole in the system especially where theft isprevalent. In particular, since most liquid narcotics such as liquidopioids are clear, a narcotic administering anesthesiologist or nursecan easily swap out the liquid narcotic syringes with a pre-filledsaline or water syringe that the administering anesthesiologist or nursehad surreptitiously hidden in a pocket of their surgical gown. Thenefarious narcotic administering anesthesiologist or nurse could thenkeep the narcotics that were supposed to be wasted for themselves.

In order to address the shortcomings of the prior, known liquid narcoticwasting systems and methods, it would be desirable to utilize a systemand method of validating that the liquid narcotic to be wasted isactually the liquid narcotic that was supposed to be wasted after theconclusion of the medical procedure or surgery in order to deter theftof the liquid narcotic to be wasted. Furthermore, it would be desirableif the system and method of validating the liquid narcotic could alsodeactivate the liquid narcotic after it has been validated, therebymaking the liquid narcotic inert which would further deter theft fromthe disposing bin. Finally, it would be desirable if the system andmethod that causes the liquid narcotic to become inert isenvironmentally safe so that the hospital or medical facility can avoidsending the deactivated narcotic waste to a conventional incinerationfacility.

Reference is made now to FIGS. 1-4, where there is illustrated a liquidnarcotic (opioid) validation and deactivation system 2, wherein thesystem includes a two (2) compartment assembly 3 having a firstcompartment 4, wherein the liquid narcotic medications are tested todetermine (or validate) the nature (chemical composition) of the liquidnarcotic medication and a second compartment 20 operatively connected tothe first compartment 4, wherein the liquid narcotic medications canthen be deactivated, if necessary. In this manner, the end user caneasily determine the composition of the liquid narcotic medications thatare to be wasted after having been administered to a patient during amedical procedure. If it is determined that the remaining liquidnarcotic (the liquid narcotic to be wasted) that was administered to thepatient during the medical procedure was the liquid narcotic medicationthat should have been wasted, the liquid narcotic medication that wastested in the first compartment 4 is then transferred to the secondcompartment 20 where the liquid narcotic medication is then deactivated.If it is determined that the remaining liquid that should was to bewasted was not what should have been wasted, the proper authorities arethen notified so that further procedural, personnel and/or legal actionscan be taken.

As shown in FIG. 1-4, there is illustrated liquid narcotic (opioid)validation and deactivation system 2. Liquid narcotic (opioid)validation and deactivation system 2 includes, in part, liquid narcotic(opioid) validation and deactivation device 3 and conventional syringe50. It is to be understood that syringe 50 contains a liquid narcoticmedication 54 that is to be wasted, wherein the liquid narcoticmedication 54 is to be validated and, possibly, deactivated, by theliquid narcotic (opioid) validation and deactivation device 3, as willbe described in greater later.

With respect to liquid narcotic (opioid) validation and deactivationdevice 3, liquid narcotic (opioid) validation and deactivation device 3includes, in part, first compartment 4, compartments container 6,one-way valve (or seal) 7, membrane 8, conventional markings orgraduations 10, liquid narcotic (opioid) validation strips or indicators12, second compartment 20, and liquid narcotic (opioid) deactivationcompound 22. Preferably, compartments container 6 is constructed of anysuitable, durable, chemical resistant, heat proof, unbreakable, clear,and UV resistant material. Also, compartments container 6 should beconstructed so that compartments 4 and 20 can be located withincompartments container 6. It is to be understood that conventionalmarkings or graduations 10 can be conventionally placed on compartmentscontainer 6 so as to provide an indication as to the amount of liquidnarcotic (opioid) that have been placed within the first compartment 4.In this manner, the end user can quickly and easily determine if theamount of liquid narcotics (opioids) that have been introduced from thesyringe 50 into the first compartment 4 substantially equals the amountof liquid narcotics (opioids) that are located within the firstcompartment 4.

A unique aspect of the present invention is the use of one-way valve (orseal) 7. In particular, one-way valve (or seal) 7 is attached to one endof compartments container 6 at an upper end of first compartment 4.Preferably, one-way valve (or seal) 7 is a conventional one-way valvesuch as a 1-way luer lock that will allow the end user to introduce theliquid narcotic (opioid) 54 to be validated from the syringe 50 into thefirst compartment 4, as will be discussed in greater detail later. Inthis manner, the one-way valve (or seal) 7 will allow the liquidnarcotic (opioid) 54 to be introduced into the first compartment 4 butwill not allow the liquid narcotic (opioid) 54 to be removed from thefirst compartment 4. It is to be understood that syringe 50 should notbe equipped with a needle. In this manner, syringe 50 can simply be usedto introduce the liquid narcotic (opioid) 54 into the first compartmentby inserting the end of syringe 50 into the one-way valve (or seal) 7.Furthermore, with the needle being removed from the end of syringe 50,the likelihood of the user being inadvertently stuck with the needle iseliminated.

Another unique aspect of the present invention is the use of membrane(divider) 8. Preferably, membrane 8 is constructed of any suitable,rupturable, UV resistant, and chemical resistant material. However, itis to be understood that membrane 8 can also be a one-way door or anyother similar device that can open and close in order to allow theliquid narcotic (opioid) 54 to be introduced into the second compartment20 but does not allow the liquid narcotic (opioid) 54 and/or the liquidnarcotic (opioid) deactivation compound 22 to leave the secondcompartment 20. Also, membrane 8 is secured to the inside ofcompartments container 6 so that the liquid narcotic (opioid)deactivation compound 22 is separated from the first compartment 4 untilit is desired to introduce the liquid narcotic (opioid) 54 into thesecond compartment 20 so that the liquid narcotic (opioid) 54 can bedeactivated by the liquid narcotic (opioid) deactivation compound 22, aswill be discussed in greater detail later. An important factor in theconstruction of membrane 8 being that the membrane 8 can be quickly andeasily pierced or ruptured by the end user so that the liquid narcotic(opioid) 54 can be introduced into the second compartment 20 butmembrane 8 must have enough structural integrity so that the liquidnarcotic (opioid) 54 cannot be inadvertently introduced into the secondcompartment 20 or the liquid narcotic (opioid) deactivation compound 22cannot inadvertently leak out of the second compartment 20.

A further unique aspect of the present invention is the use of liquidnarcotic (opioid) validation strips or indicators 12. Preferably, liquidnarcotic (opioid) validation strips or indicators 12 are conventionallitmus test strips. However, it is to be understood that liquid narcotic(opioid) validation strips or indicators 12 can be any suitable liquidnarcotic (opioid) validation strips or indicators that are capable ofquickly, easily, and accurately providing an indication as to thechemical composition of the liquid material 54 that has been introducedinto the first compartment 4.

Liquid narcotic (opioid) validation strips or indicators 12 areconventionally attached to the interior of compartments container 6 infirst compartment 4. In particular, liquid narcotic (opioid) validationstrips or indicators 12 are located adjacent to membrane 8 and extendtowards one-way valve (or seal) 7 along a section of first compartment4. It is to be understood that liquid narcotic (opioid) validationstrips or indicators 12 should extend a distance along the length offirst compartment 4 so that the end user can quickly and easilydetermine the nature (chemical composition) of the liquid material 54that was introduced into the first compartment 4 and validate that theliquid material 54 (FIG. 3) that was introduced into the firstcompartment 4 was, in fact, the same liquid material that was supposedto be wasted, as discussed above. For example, if the liquid narcotic(opioid) to be wasted is supposed to be propofol and the liquid narcotic(opioid) validation strips or indicators 12 show that the liquidmaterial 54 that was introduced into the first compartment 4 is, infact, propofol, then the liquid material 54 is subsequently introducedinto the second compartment 20 so that the liquid material 54 can bedeactivated. However, if the liquid narcotic (opioid) validation stripsor indicators 12 show that the liquid material 54 that was introducedinto the first compartment 4 is not, in fact, propofol, then the properauthorities are notified and the required procedural, personnel and/orlegal actions will be taken.

A still further unique aspect of the present invention is the use ofsecond compartment 20. As discussed earlier, the second compartment 20is used to deactivate the liquid material 54 (FIG. 4) that wasintroduced into the first compartment 4 if the liquid material that wasintroduced into the first compartment 4 is, in fact, the liquid narcotic(opioid) that is to be wasted. Located within the second compartment 20is a conventional liquid narcotic (opioid) deactivation compound 22which deactivates the liquid narcotic (opioid), thereby rendering theliquid material 54 inert such as Deterra®, manufactured by VerdeTechnologies. In this manner, once the liquid narcotic (opioid) 54 hasbeen introduced into the second compartment 20 (FIG. 4), the end usercan simply shake or otherwise agitate the compartments container 6 sothat the liquid narcotic (opiod) 54 (FIG. 4) completely interacts withthe liquid narcotic (opioid) deactivation compound 22 so that the liquidnarcotic (opioid) is rendered inert and cannot be separated out orotherwise removed from the liquid narcotic (opioid) deactivationcompound 22, as is well known in the liquid narcotic (opioid)deactivation compound art. It is to be further understood that thereshould be a sufficient amount of liquid narcotic (opioid) deactivationcompound 22 located within the second compartment 20 so that the liquidnarcotic (opioid) deactivation compound 22 will be able to render inertany liquid narcotic (opioid) 54 that is introduced into the secondcompartment 20.

Construction of the Liould Narcotic (Opioid) Validation and DeactivationDevice

In order to construct liquid narcotic (opioid) validation anddeactivation device 3, a predetermined amount of liquid narcotic(opioid) deactivation compound 22 is conventionally placed in the bottomof compartments container 6. The membrane 8 is then conventionallyattached to the inside of compartments container 6 in order to createsecond compartment 20. It is to be understood that conventional markingsor graduations 10 can be conventionally attached to or formed on theinside or outside of compartments container 6 prior to the attachment ofthe membrane 8 to the inside of compartments container 6. In thismanner, the one end of conventional markings or graduations 10 can beused as a guide to show where membrane 8 should be placed incompartments container 6. It is to be further understood thatcompartments container 6 should be conventionally cleaned and sanitizedprior to the attachment of membrane 8 so that the compartments container6 does not contain any materials that could adversely affect thevalidation and/or deactivation process of the liquid narcotic (opioid)validation and deactivation device 3.

After the membrane 8 has been attached to the inside of compartmentscontainer 6, the inside of the first compartment 4 can be againconventionally cleaned and sanitized so that the compartments container6 does not contain any materials that could adversely affect thevalidation process of the liquid narcotic (opioid) validation anddeactivation device 3. Once the first compartment 4 has been cleaned,the liquid narcotic (opioid) validation strips or indicators 12 are thenconventionally secured to the inside of compartments container 6 in thearea adjacent to the membrane 8 in first compartment 4.

After the liquid narcotic (opioid) validation strips or indicators 12have been attached in the first compartment 4, the liquid narcotic(opioid) validation and deactivation device 3 is then inspected toensure that the first compartment 4 and the second compartment 20 do nothave any visible contaminants. If no visible contaminants are found, theone-way valve (or seal) 7 is then conventionally attached to the end ofcompartments container 6.

Operation of the Liquid Narcotic (Opiod) Validation and DeactivationSystem

Once the medical or surgical procedure has been completed and it isdetermined that there is at least one container of liquid narcotic(opioid) that has liquid narcotic that must be wasted after theconclusion of a medical or surgical procedure, the two (2) medicalpersonnel who are authorized to waste the remaining liquid narcotic(opioid) will take the container of remaining liquid narcotic (opioid)to a dedicated station in which the remaining liquid narcotic (opioid)to be wasted will be validated and, possibly, deactivated.

In particular, a conventional syringe 50 having a conventional needle(not shown) will be used to conventionally extract a portion of theliquid narcotic (opioid) 54 (FIG. 2) to be wasted from the container ofthe remaining liquid narcotic (opioid) to be wasted. However, it is tobe understood that the syringe 50 may also be used to conventionallyextract a portion of the liquid narcotic (opioid) 54 (FIG. 2) to bewasted from the container of the remaining liquid narcotic (opioid) tobe wasted without the use of a needle. The end user then notes theamount of liquid narcotic (opioid) 54 (FIG. 2) to be wasted that wasintroduced into the syringe 50

One end of syringe 50 will then be inserted into the one-way valve (orseal) 7 so that a portion of syringe 50 extends into or otherwise entersinto one-way valve (or seal) 7 and extends into a portion of the firstcompartment 4. The liquid narcotic (opioid) 54 will then beconventionally introduced into the first compartment 4 by a conventionalpushing action of the end user on the syringe 50 (FIG. 2).

After the liquid narcotic (opioid) 54 has been introduced into the firstcompartment 4, the syringe 50 is withdrawn from the one-way valve (orseal) 7 (FIG. 3). As discussed above, the one-way valve (or seal) 7prevents withdrawal of the liquid narcotic 54 from first compartment 4after it has been transferred to the first compartment 4.

After the liquid narcotic (opioid) 54 has been introduced into the firstcompartment 4 and the syringe 50 has been removed from the one-way valve(or seal) 7, the end user uses the markings or graduations 10 todetermine the amount of liquid narcotic (opioid) 54 that was introducedinto the first compartment 4. The end user can then compare the amountof liquid narcotic (opioid) 54 that was introduced into the firstcompartment 4 to the amount of liquid narcotic (opioid) 54 that wasinjected out of the syringe 50 (FIG. 1) into the first compartment 4. Inthis manner, the end user can determine if any of the liquid narcotic(opioid) 54 that should have been introduced into the first compartment4 was actually introduced into the first compartment 4 and did not leakout around the one-way valve (or seal) 7.

Once the liquid narcotic (opioid) 54 has been introduced into the firstcompartment, the end user will then mix or agitate, if necessary, theliquid narcotic (opioid) validation and deactivation device 3 so thatthe liquid narcotic (opioid) 54 contained within the first compartment 4will properly interact with the liquid narcotic (opioid) validationstrips or indicators 12 (FIG. 3). The end user (in this case, the two(2) medical personnel who are authorized to waste the remaining liquidnarcotic (opioid)) will then read or otherwise observe the liquidnarcotic (opioid) validation strips or indicators 12 to determine if theremaining liquid narcotic 54 (the liquid narcotic to be wasted) that wasto be wasted was, in fact, the liquid narcotic medication that shouldhave been wasted.

If the end user determines that the liquid narcotic (opioid) 54contained in the first compartment 4 was, in fact, the liquid narcotic(opioid) that should have been wasted, then the liquid narcotic (opioid)is then transferred to the second compartment 20 (FIG. 4) where theliquid narcotic (opioid) is then conventionally deactivated and renderedinert, as discussed above.

On the other hand, if the end user determines that the liquid material54 in the first compartment 4 is not the liquid narcotic (opioid) thatwas to be wasted, the remaining liquid in the container used during thesurgical procedure and the remaining material 54 in the syringe 50 thatwas to be wasted will be held for further investigation and tested bythe pharmacy or lab to determine the discrepancy.

The preceding merely illustrates the principles of the invention. Itwill thus be appreciated that those skilled in the art will be able todevise various arrangements which, although not explicitly described orshown herein, embody the principles of the invention and are includedwithin its spirit and scope. Furthermore, all examples and conditionallanguage recited herein are principally intended expressly to be onlyfor pedagogical purposes and to aid the reader in understanding theprinciples of the invention and the concepts contributed by theinventors to furthering the art and are to be construed as being withoutlimitation to such specifically recited examples and conditions.Moreover, all statements herein reciting principles, aspects, andembodiments of the invention, as well as specific examples thereof, areintended to encompass both structural and functional equivalentsthereof. Additionally, it is intended that such equivalents include bothcurrently known equivalents and equivalents developed in the future,i.e., any elements developed that perform the same function, regardlessof structure.

This description of the exemplary embodiments is intended to be read inconnection with the figures of the accompanying drawing, which are to beconsidered part of the entire written description. In the description,relative terms such as “lower,” “upper,” “horizontal,” “vertical,”“above,” “below,” “up,” “down,” “top” and “bottom” as well asderivatives thereof (e.g., “horizontally,” “downwardly,” “upwardly,”etc.) should be construed to refer to the orientation as then describedor as shown in the drawing under discussion. These relative terms arefor convenience of description and do not require that the apparatus beconstructed or operated in a particular orientation. Terms concerningattachments, coupling and the like, such as “connected” and“interconnected,” refer to a relationship wherein structures are securedor attached to one another either directly or indirectly throughintervening structures, as well as both movable or rigid attachments orrelationships, unless expressly described otherwise.

All patents, publications, scientific articles, web sites, and otherdocuments and materials referenced or mentioned herein are indicative ofthe levels of skill of those skilled in the art to which the inventionpertains, and each such referenced document and material is herebyincorporated by reference to the same extent as if it had beenincorporated by reference in its entirety individually or set forthherein in its entirety.

The applicant reserves the right to physically incorporate into thisspecification any and all materials and information from any suchpatents, publications, scientific articles, web sites, electronicallyavailable information, and other referenced materials or documents tothe extent such incorporated materials and information are notinconsistent with the description herein.

The written description portion of this patent includes all claims.Furthermore, all claims, including all original claims as well as allclaims from any and all priority documents, are hereby incorporated byreference in their entirety into the written description portion of thespecification, and Applicant(s) reserve the right to physicallyincorporate into the written description or any other portion of theapplication, any and all such claims. Thus, for example, under nocircumstances may the patent be interpreted as allegedly not providing awritten description for a claim on the assertion that the precisewording of the claim is not set forth in haec verba in writtendescription portion of the patent.

The claims will be interpreted according to law. However, andnotwithstanding the alleged or perceived ease or difficulty ofinterpreting any claim or portion thereof, under no circumstances mayany adjustment or amendment of a claim or any portion thereof duringprosecution of the application or applications leading to this patent beinterpreted as having forfeited any right to any and all equivalentsthereof that do not form a part of the prior art.

All of the features disclosed in this specification may be combined inany combination. Thus, unless expressly stated otherwise, each featuredisclosed is only an example of a generic series of equivalent orsimilar features.

It is to be understood that while the invention has been described inconjunction with the detailed description thereof, the foregoingdescription is intended to illustrate and not limit the scope of theinvention, which is defined by the scope of the appended claims. Thus,from the foregoing, it will be appreciated that, although specificembodiments of the invention have been described herein for the purposeof illustration, various modifications may be made without deviatingfrom the spirit and scope of the invention. Other aspects, advantages,and modifications are within the scope of the following claims and thepresent invention is not limited except as by the appended claims.

The specific methods and compositions described herein arerepresentative of preferred embodiments and are exemplary and notintended as limitations on the scope of the invention. Other objects,aspects, and embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art uponconsideration of this specification and are encompassed within thespirit of the invention as defined by the scope of the claims. It willbe readily apparent to one skilled in the art that varying substitutionsand modifications may be made to the invention disclosed herein withoutdeparting from the scope and spirit of the invention. The inventionillustratively described herein suitably may be practiced in the absenceof any element or elements, or limitation or limitations, which is notspecifically disclosed herein as essential. Thus, for example, in eachinstance herein, in embodiments or examples of the present invention,the terms “comprising”, “including”, “containing”, etc. are to be readexpansively and without limitation. The methods and processesillustratively described herein suitably may be practiced in differingorders of steps, and that they are not necessarily restricted to theorders of steps indicated herein or in the claims.

The terms and expressions that have been employed are used as terms ofdescription and not of limitation, and there is no intent in the use ofsuch terms and expressions to exclude any equivalent of the featuresshown and described or portions thereof, but it is recognized thatvarious modifications are possible within the scope of the invention asclaimed. Thus, it will be understood that although the present inventionhas been specifically disclosed by various embodiments and/or preferredembodiments and optional features, any and all modifications andvariations of the concepts herein disclosed that may be resorted to bythose skilled in the art are considered to be within the scope of thisinvention as defined by the appended claims.

The invention has been described broadly and generically herein. Each ofthe narrower species and sub-generic groupings falling within thegeneric disclosure also form part of the invention. This includes thegeneric description of the invention with a proviso or negativelimitation removing any subject matter from the genus, regardless ofwhether or not the excised material is specifically recited herein.

Other embodiments are within the following claims. Therefore, the patentmay not be interpreted to be limited to the specific examples orembodiments or methods specifically and/or expressly disclosed herein.Under no circumstances may the patent be interpreted to be limited byany statement made by any Examiner or any other official or employee ofthe Patent and Trademark Office unless such statement is specificallyand without qualification or reservation expressly adopted in aresponsive writing by Applicants.

Although the invention has been described in terms of exemplaryembodiments, it is not limited thereto. Rather, the appended claimsshould be construed broadly, to include other variants and embodimentsof the invention, which may be made by those skilled in the art withoutdeparting from the scope and range of equivalents of the invention.

Other modifications and implementations will occur to those skilled inthe art without departing from the spirit and the scope of the inventionas claimed. Accordingly, the description hereinabove is not intended tolimit the invention, except as indicated in the appended claims.

Therefore, provided herein is a new and improved apparatus and methodfor the validation and deactivation of liquid narcotic medications,which according to various embodiments of the present invention, offersthe following advantages: ease of use; lightness in weight; portability;reliability; repeatability of the validation process; ease of properdisposal of the device; the ability to test (validate) a sample of thetype of liquid narcotic medication that was to be wasted; the ability todetermine the chemical composition of the sample of the type of liquidnarcotic medication that was to be wasted; the ability to deactivate thetested sample; and the ability to inform the proper authorities as tothe chemical composition of the sample of the type of liquid narcoticmedication that was to be wasted. In fact, in many of the preferredembodiments, these advantages of ease of use, lightness in weight,portability, reliability, repeatability of the validation process, easeof proper disposal of the device, the ability to test (validate) asample of the type of liquid narcotic medication that was to be wasted,the ability to determine the chemical composition of the sample of thetype of liquid narcotic medication that was to be wasted, the ability todeactivate the tested sample, and the ability to inform the properauthorities as to the chemical composition of the sample of the type ofliquid narcotic medication that was to be wasted are optimized to anextent that is considerably higher than heretofore achieved in prior,known methods and apparatus for the deactivation of liquid narcoticmedications.

I claim:
 1. A method for validating and deactivating liquid medicationsto be wasted, comprising the steps of: providing a liquid medicationvalidation and deactivation device, wherein the liquid medicationvalidation and deactivation device comprises: a liquid medicationvalidation and deactivation container having a first end and a secondend; a rupturable membrane attached to an inside of the liquidmedication validation and deactivation container; a liquid medicationdeactivation compartment located within the liquid medication validationand deactivation container such that the liquid medication deactivationcompartment is located between the first end of the liquid validationand deactivation container and a first side of the membrane; a liquidmedication validation compartment located within the liquid medicationvalidation and deactivation container such that the liquid medicationvalidation compartment is located between the second end of the liquidvalidation and deactivation container and a second side of the membrane;at least one liquid medication indicator located within the liquidmedication validation compartment, wherein the at least one liquidmedication indicator is used to determine a chemical compound of aliquid medication that is introduced into the liquid medicationvalidation compartment; and a one-way valve operatively connected to thesecond end of the liquid medication validation and deactivationcontainer; introducing an amount of a liquid medication to be wastedthrough the one-way valve into the liquid medication validationcompartment, wherein the liquid medication to be wasted includes a knownchemical composition; validating a chemical composition of the liquidmedication to be wasted in the liquid medication validation compartment,wherein 1.) if it is determined that the liquid medication that wasvalidated in the liquid medication validation compartment has the samechemical composition as the known composition of the liquid medicationto be wasted then the liquid medication that was validated in the liquidmedication validation compartment is transferred through the membrane tothe liquid medication deactivation compartment where the liquidmedication to be wasted is deactivated by rendering the liquidmedication inert or 2.) if it is determined that the liquid medicationthat was validated in the liquid medication validation compartment doesnot have the same chemical composition as the known composition of theliquid medication to be wasted then the liquid medication that wasvalidated in the liquid medication validation compartment is retained inthe liquid medication validation compartment for further investigationto determine the discrepancy between the chemical composition of theliquid medication that was validated in the liquid medication validationcompartment and the known composition of the liquid medication to bewasted.
 2. The method for validating and deactivating liquid medicationsto be wasted, according to claim 1, wherein the step of providing aliquid medication validation and deactivation device is furthercomprised of the step of: providing a rupturable, UV resistant, andchemical resistant material.
 3. The method for validating anddeactivating liquid medications to be wasted, according to claim 1,wherein the step of providing a liquid medication validation anddeactivation device is further comprised of the step of: providing anamount of a liquid medication deactivation compound in the liquidmedication deactivation compartment which is capable of deactivating theliquid medication thereby rendering the liquid medication inert.
 4. Themethod for validating and deactivating liquid medications to be wasted,according to claim 1, wherein the step of providing a liquid medicationvalidation and deactivation device is further comprised of the step of:providing a plurality of markings located along a length of the liquidmedication validation and deactivation container and along the liquidmedication validation compartment to provide an indication as to theamount of liquid medication that has been introduced into the liquidmedication validation compartment.
 5. The method for validating anddeactivating liquid medications to be wasted, according to claim 1,wherein the step of providing a liquid medication validation anddeactivation device is further comprised of the step of: providing asyringe such that the syringe contains an amount of a liquid medicationto be validated and deactivated, wherein the syringe is used tointroduce the liquid medication into the liquid medication validationcompartment through the one-way valve.
 6. The method for validating anddeactivating liquid medications to be wasted, according to claim 1,wherein the one-way valve is further comprised of: providing a one-wayluer valve.
 7. The method for validating and deactivating liquidmedications to be wasted, according to claim 1, wherein the at least oneliquid medication indicator is further comprised of: a litmus strip.